Xander Joseph Pierce

Xander Joseph Pierce, 16, of Johnson City, passed away on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in New York City, following a long battle with Fibrolamellar liver cancer, an extremely rare subtype of liver disease.

He was a lifelong resident of Johnson City, son of Charles Jason Pierce and Mitzi Phillips Pierce Henley. He was a sophomore at Science Hill High School.

Xander chose to find happiness wherever he was and could be counted on to bring it with him if he couldn’t find it around him. He loved going to movies and posting his latest dance moves on Tik Tok. He had a wonderful loving nature and would take any chance he could to get a laugh or to give a smile to somebody else with a good-natured prank.

The simple pleasure of the outdoors was never wasted on him, and many hours were spent hiking, camping, or out on the lake. Doe River Gorge Ministries held a special place in his heart, and he loved to participate in their retreats. The spirit of fellowship he found there and at Redeemer Community Church really helped to strengthen his servant’s heart. Before his illness got in the way, Xander had felt called to help the local homeless and was eager to build a local club in Johnson City to cook and serve meals to those in need.

Xander is preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandfathers, Joseph Pierce and Harley Phillips.

Those left to cherish his memory include: his parents, C. Jason Pierce, Mitzi Pierce Henley and husband Scott; brother, Jaxon Pierce; paternal and maternal grandmothers, Mildred Pierce and Linda Harris; uncles, Jonathan Pierce and wife Kasi, Lee Phillips, and Brandon Stalcup; cousins, Kendall Pierce, Lauren Pierce, Joshua Stalcup, and Stasia Stalcup; close friends, Reed McCown, Ayden Ewing, and Stone Seivers; and beloved dog, Storm.

The family of Xander Pierce will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, December 15, 2023, at Morris-Baker Funeral Home. A second opportunity to pay respects to the family will take place on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at Grace Fellowship Church. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until the beginning of Xander’s memorial service at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the organizations that meant the most to Xander: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org/donate), the FibroFighters Foundation (fibrofighters.org/donate-now), or by volunteering your time at The Melting Pot in downtown Johnson City (meltingpotjc.org).